Petunia plant named ‘Kirimaji Double Lavender’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Kirimaji Double Lavender’, characterized by its low mounding cascading to prostrate plant habit; freely branching growth habit; early and freely flowering habit; violet purple-colored semi-double flowers; and good weather tolerance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Petunia hybrida cultivarKirimaji Double Lavender.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Kirimaji Double Lavender’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventors in Tochigi, Japan. The objective of the breeding programis to create new double Petunia cultivars that have stronger growth andattractive flower coloration.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventors in March, 1999, in Tochigi, Japan, of an unnamed proprietaryselection of Petunia, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent withthe Petunia cultivar Sonata Pure White, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Petunia was discovered and selected by theInventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Tochigi, Japan,in July, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its strong plantgrowth habit and attractive flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in acontrolled environment in Tochigi, Japan, since July, 2000, has shownthat the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Kirimaji Double Lavender have not been observedunder all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and lightintensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Kirimaji Double Lavender’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kirimaji Double Lavender’ asa new and distinct cultivar of Petunia:

1. Low mounding cascading to prostrate plant habit.

2. Freely branching growth habit.

3. Early and freely flowering habit.

4. Purple violet-colored semi-double flowers.

5. Good weather tolerance; tolerant to wind, rain, and low and hightemperatures.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the unnamed proprietary Petunia selection. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of thenew Petunia differed from plants of the female parent primarily inflower form and color as plants of the female parent had single flowersthat were white in color.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parent,the cultivar Sonata Pure White. In side-by-side comparisons conducted bythe Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Petunia were not asupright and had slightly smaller flowers than plants of the cultivarSonata Pure White. In addition, plants of the cultivar Sonata Pure Whitehad white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new cultivar can be compared to plants of the cultivarDoubloon Pink, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted bythe Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Petunia differed fromplants of the cultivar Doubloon Pink in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia had slightly smaller flowers than plants ofthe cultivar Doubloon Pink.

2. Flower color of plants of the new Petunia was violet purple whereasflower color of plants of the cultivar Doubloon Pink was dark pink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Kirimaji Double Lavender’.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical flower of ‘Kirimaji Double Lavender’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for theaforementioned photographs and the following description were grown incontainers and under conditions which closely approximate commercialproduction conditions during the spring in Santa Paula, Calif. in apolyethylene-covered greenhouse. Plants used for the photographs and thedescription were about nine weeks from planting rooted young plants.During the production period, day temperatures ranged from 20 to 35° C.,night temperatures ranged from 10 to 20° C., and light levels rangedfrom 20 to 40 klux.

Botanical classification: Petunia hybrida cultivar Kirimaji DoubleLavender.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of Petuniahybrida, not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Petunia hybrida cultivar Sonata Pure White, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 3 days at 25° C. Winter: About 5days at 23° C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 21 days at 25° C.Winter: About 23 days at 25° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; low mounding cascading to prostrate planthabit; dense and bushy appearance.

Plant height (from soil level to top of plant plane).—About 12 cm.

Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 60 cm.

Growth rate.—Relatively rapid.

Branching habit.—Freely basal branching, about 25 lateral branches perplant; lateral branches develop at potentially every node; pinching istypically not required.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 39 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.Internode length: About 1.2 to 3 cm. Orientation: Initially upright,then horizontal. Texture: Pubescent; short, fine hairs. Strength:Strong, but flexible. Color: 144B.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical. Arrangement:Alternate before flowering, then opposite. Length: About 3.8 cm. Width:About 2.8 cm. Shape: Broadly elliptic to oval. Apex: Rounded. Base:Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightlypubescent; somewhat viscid. Venation pattern: Pinnate; arcuate. Color:Young foliage, upper surface: 146B. Young foliage, lower surface: 144A.Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 146A. Fully expanded foliage,lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper surface: 144A. Venation, lowersurface: 144B. Petiole length: About 1 cm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm.Petiole color: 144B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Flowers face upright or outward; semi-doubleflower form; solitary and axillary; salverform. Freely flowering habit,about 15 to 16 flowers and flower buds per lateral stem. Flowerspersistent.

Fragrance.—Slight; sweet, floral.

Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn; floweringcontinuous during this period.

Time to flower.—Early flowering; plants begin flowering about two weeksafter planting.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About 10 days.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 5.5 cm. Length (height): About 3.8 cm. Tubelength: About 2.5 cm. Tube diameter, base: About 5 mm.

Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.Shape: Obovate. Color: 79D.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Outer whorl of about eight petals fusedat base and surrounding inner whorl of about 12 to 14 petals. Petallength, outer and inner whorls of petals: About 2 cm. Petal width: Outerwhorl of petals: About 2.2 cm. Inner whorl of petals: About 1.25 cm.Petal shape: Spatulate. Petal apex: Rounded, slightly pointed. Petalmargin: Entire. Petal texture: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Petal surface:Ruffled. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: 78A; venation, 64A.Petal, when opening, lower surface: 83C to 83D; venation, 144A. Petal,opened flower, upper surface: 81A; color becoming closer to 82B to 82Cwith subsequent development; venation, 64A. Petal, opened flower, lowersurface: 84A to 84B; venation, 144A. Flower throat (inside): 155A;towards base, 144A; venation, 59A. Flower tube (outside): 156D;venation, 59C.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals fused atbase; star-shaped. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper andlower surfaces: Slightly coarse; pubescent. Color: Upper surface: 146A.Lower surface: 146B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 2.8 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Strength: Strong.Angle: About 45° from stem. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About eight per flower. Anthershape: Oval. Anther size: About 2 mm by 2.5 mm. Anther color: 156B.Pollen amount: Very scarce. Pollen color: 188A. Pistils: Quantity: Oneper flower. Pistil length: About 1.8 cm. Stigma shape: Anvil-shaped.Stigma color: 146A. Style length: About 1.5 cm. Style color: 146C. Ovarycolor: 144A.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been notedto be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia.

Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Petunia are tolerant torain and wind and have been observed to tolerate temperatures from 3 to35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named‘Kirimaji Double Lavender’, as illustrated and described.